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Royalty Images

Anytime a person takes a picture, the image captured is owned by the person who took the photo. That is unless the photographer grants permission for use of their photographs. If a photographer does not give permission then they usually request a royalty payment for the use of their photo. This can make it difficult in today’s digital environment when it boils down to using images without violating copyright.

Copyrights on Images

Any image taken by any form of camera instantly has a copyright. This copyright gives the photograph rights to only the photographer. What that means is the only person who captured the photo has the rights to print the image. When a photographer waves these rights to either a specific person, entity or public, then anyone with proper copyright release can print the image. Copyright protects the image which is considered intellectual property. Copyright laws in photography can vary in different jurisdictions. There are many different laws regarding photography.

Royalty Free Photography and Illustrations

A photographer can sell their image to a licensor by getting a copyright license. Copyright licenses give the rights to the user to use the image or illustration without restrictions, this is the agreement based on the one- time payment made to the photographer. The purchaser of the image has the rights to use the image in any way they wish. Images that are royalty free can be used in several projects. There is no need to purchase an additional license.

Downloadable Images

Royalty free images can be found online and are downloadable free. Websites such as shutterstock offer downloadable images free. Anyone can use these images to make business cards, websites, social media posts, background screensavers, or make their own prints without having to purchase the image, or pay royalties. The user of the image has rights to make copies, and use the image as they wish.